


Departed

by vvavavoom



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Disappearance, Drama, Fire Nation Royal Family, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25956580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vvavavoom/pseuds/vvavavoom
Summary: Gone. Her father was gone.
Relationships: Azula & Izumi (Avatar), Izumi & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 107





	Departed

**Author's Note:**

> Idk where this idea came from.

Izumi was in the middle of a history lesson when the Royal Guard entered her classroom unannounced. General Mak apologized to the class and Instructor Chiyo for interrupting and told her he needed the Princess to come with him. Izumi was confused, the Royal Guard never came to her school unless her father was here, which he wasn’t. Fire Lord Zuko was in the Northern Water Tribe on diplomatic business and wasn’t supposed to return for at least another week. What could they possibly need her for?

There were murmurs from the other students as Izumi removed her glasses and began to pack her belongings.

“Leave them, Princess. We will have your effects gathered and brought to the palace for you. It’s crucial that you return with us immediately.”

She was confused as they walked through the hallway. Izumi was completely surrounded by the guards as they escorted her to a carriage. She asks General Mak what’s going on once they’re inside, but he insists she wait until they arrive at the palace. He kept his face tight and without his usually agreeable smile. Izumi felt uneasy. Her anxiety churns until it becomes a ball of stress constricting her chest. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.

As they descend from the carriage Izumi sees the party waiting to greet them at the palace. There were fire sages, head councilmen, and a few other dignitaries. Her father wasn’t one of them. Confused didn’t even begin to describe what Izumi was feeling. She expected to see her father waiting for her, why else would she be pulled out of class and brought home early? She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

Izumi was ushered into the throne room despite her protests. Once inside she crossed her arms demanding to be informed what was going on right this instant.

Great Sage Shyu stepped forward. “Princess Izumi… the reason you have been brought here is because… it seems that the Fire Lord has gone missing.”

“What?” She asked incredulously. She looked around to the other dignitaries for confirmation. All their faces were set in somber frowns. This was a joke, right? Her father couldn’t have gone missing. He wasn’t the type to go missing. Her father was a seeker, not the person who needed finding. “When? How?”

“No one has been able to locate him nor the Avatar and a few others for about two days now. We just learned of this news mere hours ago and immediately sent to retrieve you.”

“I don’t understand.” This isn’t real. “How could this have happened?” None of this is real.

“There was an occurrence in the Northern Tribe, and we have reason to believe he may be trapped in the spirit world or…” The great fire sage trailed off grimly.

“What? Dead?! You think he’s dead?” Izumi felt like the room was spinning. He’s not dead. He can’t be.

“We don’t know that for sure.” General Mak stepped forward, his presence bringing some calm to the storm raging in Izumi’s mind. “He could be alive, there are teams searching for him and the Avatar as we speak.”

“Then we should be there! We should be helping!” The Princess cried.

“Princess Izumi, in situations like these it’s imperative that we crown the new Fire Lord before someone challenges for your right to the throne. We don’t-”

“What?! No! I am not doing this! My father is not dead!” Izumi shrieked. These people were out of their minds. She looked at General Mak, pleading with him to back her up. “He is out there and we’re going to find him!”

“You cannot go, Princess.” Shyu said. “You’re needed here. The Fire Nation is vulnerable without a leader and it needs you to take your place as the new Fire Lord.”

“How can you talk like that? Like you’ve already gave up on him! Why can’t you ask my grandfather o-or-?”

“No.” Shiyu shook his head solemnly. “It has to be you, Princess Izumi. No one else can take the throne.”

“I’m only fifteen, I’m not ready yet!” she backed up, her tears flowing down her face. “I just want my father! Please.”

“This is the way it must be done. I understand it’s difficult-“

“You don’t understand anything!” Izumi yelled. “I can’t be the Fire Lord yet! I can’t!”

“You must. For the good of the people and this nation, you must.” He replied calmly.

“No! Call my grandfather! He can help!”

General Mak nodded his head “Princess, General Iroh has been informed of the situation, but… he will not be returning to the Fire Nation. He is on his way to the Northern Water Tribe to assist in the efforts of locating The Fire Lord and the Avatar.”

“Then so should I! If it were me who was missing my father wouldn’t stop looking until he found me! He wouldn’t let anything stop him!” She choked on a sob. “I have to try.”

“The longer the Fire Nation is without a leader the easier it will be for someone to usurp your family’s right to the throne. You must be crowned before word of your father’s disappearance becomes widespread.”

Izumi’s heart broke. As she looked around the room, she realized she was truly alone. Her father was gone, her grandfather wasn’t here, and with no one else to speak up for her, she easily calculated the outcome of this situation. She was to be Fire Lord.

She felt the panic restricting her chest. She couldn’t breathe. Izumi turned and ran from the throne room. She felt like a coward, a deserter, but she didn’t care. This was too much. All of it was too much.

The princess almost ran to the stables to Druk until she remembered that her dad had taken him on his trip. Another choked sob escaped her as she ran to her room. Her handmaidens were surprised to see her back so early, but she ignored them as she slammed her door and locked it. She just needed time to think. All she needed was a little bit of time.

Gone. Her father was gone. Izumi collapsed on the floor and curled in on herself. She tried to remember their last interaction. It was about a week ago when she was seeing him off for his trip. He wasn’t looking forward to it and had promised her that he would try and return home as soon as possible.

“Between you and me I’m a little afraid of the Northern Water Tribe.” He joked. “I’d bring you along but I’m afraid you might freeze.”

Izumi laughed, they hugged, and exchanged goodbye’s and then he left. He had sent her a letter a couple days after that but there was nothing suspicious or alarming in it. Nothing foreshadowing this.

Izumi silently cried whilst trying to control her breathing. She felt like she couldn’t get any air in her lungs. What the hell was she supposed to do? Become Fire Lord? Pretend she had any idea what she was doing? Her father was missing! She had to do something, anything. Even her grandfather knew how important it was to find him. He understood that Izumi stood no chance at leading this nation. That she was just a stupid kid who relied far too heavily on her father for everything. She was useless.

Izumi must have spent at least an hour like this before she finally heard someone opening her door. She didn’t even have the energy to respond. She just lied against her dresser like a limp doll.

Whoever had unlocked it walked forward with decisive strides until they stopped in front of her. Izumi stared at their fancy pointed shoes before looking up at their face.

Azula.

Her aunt looked down at her with a critical look on her face. “You should get up before you wrinkle that uniform anymore.”

Izumi scrambled up on her knees and threw her arms around her. “Zuza.” She hadn’t used that nickname for her aunt in years. She began crying again as she pressed her face against Azula’s chest. Azula stood awkwardly for a second before hugging her niece back. After a few minutes they pulled away.

“D- dad, he’s missing.”

“I heard.” She said tersely.

“We have to go find him.”

“No. There are enough people looking for him. We must stay here.”

The young Princess looked hopeful. “Are you here to…?”

“To become Fire Lord? No, Zuzu, I’m not.” Azula tucked a strand of hair behind Izumi’s ear.

“But why? Why can’t you do it? I’m not ready!” Izumi begged.

“Stop it. I know that you’re not ready. That’s why I came.”

“I can’t. I’m not like you or Dad. I’m- I’m not strong enough.” Izumi insisted.

“I said stop. You can do this, and you will. You were born to become Fire Lord. It is your divine right to rule.” Azula’s face was fierce but her eyes were soft. She was here to help.

Izumi stared up at her aunt as she felt the tears come back to her eyes. She hugged her aunt again as she began to sob. “Please don’t leave me.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

-

As her handmaidens washed her hair and painted her face and dressed her in heavy robes Izumi sat lifelessly. She allowed them to pull her around limply as they prepared her for her coronation. It was like she wasn’t in her body. Like she was watching herself in a dream.

Izumi didn’t recognize herself in the reflection of her vanity. She was beautiful. She looked like a stranger. An imposter. She quietly stood up and left her room.

As the first rays of Agni shone upon the courtyard Izumi stepped forward and knelt down in front of the Head Fire Sage. She looked upon the faces of the few that had gathered for her coronation.

This was supposed to be a proud moment for her. She was supposed to be older and wiser. There was supposed to be a huge crowd cheering for their new Fire Lord. Instead, there was silence.

She felt her Aunt’s presence behind her. It was hard to ignore the kind of raw power Azula emanated. She should be up here Izumi thought bitterly. Anyone else should be up here instead of her.

The Fire Sage was speaking words that she couldn’t hear. She looked up to the sky holding back the building pressure in her eyes.

It wasn’t until she felt the crown placed in her hair that she let her tears begin to fall.

**Author's Note:**

> Pls pls pls leave a comment if you liked! <3


End file.
